Fracture preventing hip protecting means



M. L. RAYMOND FRACTURE PREVENTING HIP PROTECTING MEANS Filed Feb. 21,1957 Malcolm 1.. Raymond,

INVEN TOR.

BY M

Unite States Patent FRACTURE PREVENTING HIP PROTECTING MEANS Malcolm L.Raymond, Johnstown, Pa.

Application February 21, 1957, Serial No. 641,673

2 Claims. (Cl. 128-522) The present invention relates to protective andsafeguarding appliances, generally speaking, and has reference inparticular to a combination and association of hip pads and attachingand retaining means which is expressly designed for use by elderlypeople in diminishing the likelihood of hip fractures at the neck of thefemur or thigh bone.

It is a matter of common knowledge to those conversant with protectiveaccessories and appliances that time and again an elderly person maystrike the hip on the floor or similar surface resulting from a fallsideways. A smaller percentage of fracture difiiculties are chargeableto the unusual fragility of the neck of the bone which may be easilydisturbed and perhaps fractured by force exerted up the leg from thefoot resulting from a jar. With a view toward minimizing expensiveoperative treatment and prolonged morbidity, the invention hereindisclosed is offered in the belief that it will help to cope with theproblems of the aged insofar as the vulnerable and fracturable hip areasare concerned.

Briefly summarized, the concept has to do with simple, practical andreasonably comfortable means wherein pads serve to absorb the directblow of a sidewise fall in a manner to ofier protection for the wearerships.

Novelty is also predicated on a structure which atfords extra support toan anatomic pelvic girdle or belt by aptly binding the femurs to thepelvic girdle and wherein the girdle has the incidental function ofsupporting the lower portion of the abdomen of the wearer, resulting, asis commonly the situation, from debilitated muscle tone.

Other objects, features and advantages will become more readily apparentfrom the following description and the accompanying sheet ofillustrative, but not restrictive, drawing.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the same:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the over-all appliance characterized asbefore emphasized by the shock absorband and hip protecting pads;

Fig. 2 is a view of the same on a slightly smaller scale andillustrating how the appliance looks when it is applied to ones person;

Fig. 3 is an exaggerated view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig.1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 3 but showing amodification in the construction of one of the hip pads.

Referring now to the drawing with the aid of reference numerals and leadlines, the aforementioned bodyencircling belt, more specifically apelvic girdle, is denoted by the numeral 6, and the frontal portionthereof is relatively wide, as at 8, to provide an abdominal supporter.The end portions are overlapped and suitably and adjustably connectedtogether by appropriate fastening elements 12. This belt may be of anyappron I, 2,889,830 Patented June 9, 1959 priate material and serves asan anchor for the diametrically opposite hip pads 14. The pads are eachthe same in construction and a description of one will sufiice for both.Each pad is generally pear-shaped in form and has a convex upper endportion 16 and a gradually reduced and tapering lower end portion 18.The pad is cushioned by way of a filler of sponge rubber 20 contained ina suitable confining and shaping jacket 22. The exterior surfaceportions are not particularly important insofar as the configuration isconcerned. However, the surface which actually bears against theprotectable hip area is significant in that it has a suitably shaped andcontoured accommodation recess 24, which recess conformingly fits overeach hip prominence (great trochanters) and so that the upper and moreprominent end portion 16 is situated at the desired plane or level toabsorb the shock of a sidewise fall against the side of the hip bone(ilium) just above and to thus prevent it against the trochanter andshaft just below.

As already mentioned, the protectors or pads are made essentially ofsponge rubber or an equivalent material and may be of the form seen inFig. 3 or the form seen in Fig. 4 which is a modification showing a coilspring shock absorber 26 embodied in and forming a part of the pad. Inthis form of the invention, as well as in Fig. 3, there is a leather oran equivalent strap which is embedded in the pad and extends lengthwisethrough the same, as denoted at 28. The upper extending end provides anattaching car 30 and the lower extending end 32 provides a similarhold-down ear. The latter is fixedly connected to the inner peripheralportion of an adjustable thigh strap 34. The end portions are connectedby an adjustable tip 36 cooperating with an adjusting and retainingbuckle 38. A slide and adapter 40 is also provided and this has a loopportion 42 which is slidable on the cooperating portion of the girdle orband 6. It has also a depending portion 44 which is connected with theear 30 by way of a pivoting rivet or equivalent fastener 46, all as seenin Fig. 3.

As before mentioned, the body-encircling belt 6 has a wider central ormedian portion to provide an abdominal support. The pivotal connectionsbetween the pars and the girdle permits the relative movement of thecomponents to permit sitting and walking without distortion ordisplacement of the protectors. The entire appliance is light in weightand comfortable and is not unsightly when the wearer is fully clothed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents maybe resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use by elderly people with a view toward diminishing hip fractureat the neck of the femur which could happen by striking the hip during asidewise fall or similar accident; a waist encircling belt havingadjustably connected overlapping end portions and having a wide medianportion constituting an abdominal supporter, a pair of individuallyadjustable thigh encircling straps, adapters slidingly mounted ondiametrically opposite portions of said belt, and a pair ofdiametrically opposite cushioned pads having means at their respectivelower ends connecting said ends with cooperating portions of said thighencircling straps and having upper end portions pivotally connected tosaid adapters below the lower edge of said belt, the anatomy contactingsurfaces of each pad being adapted to have immediate and direct contactwith hip prominences and be- 3 ing indented to provide a conforminglyapplicable depression to accommodate the great trochanters.

2. The structure definedin claim 1 and wherein each pad is provided witha non-elastic relatively narrow strap which is embedded lengthwise inthe pad and has its respective ends extending beyond the upper and lowerends of the pad, each upper extending end providing an attaching earwhich is pivotally connected with the cooperating adapter, the lowerextending end providing a References Cited in the file of this patenthold-down ear which is fixedly connected to an inner 10 2,543,644

peripheral portion of the cooperating thigh strap.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Craig Oct. 2, 1888 Kuebler June 20, 1911 RiderJune 20, 1916 Levinson Dec. 28, 1926 Snavely Dec. 23, 1930 McCoy Dec.23, 1941 Satori Feb. 27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria July 15, 1953Canada Nov. 1, 1955

